Davis Data

Spanish food and culture lessons with the Websters

2013-05-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

Bradley's 17th birthday! Wow, he is old.

2013-03-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from Brad's great day!

Birthday Breakfast by Dad... :)

Seminary friends and fun...

The best part... at the game he (with the help of a few friends) asked Jenna to Prom. The had white t-shirts under their jerseys, and toward the end of warm-ups, the just all walked over, and stood in front of the bleachers and took their shirts off! And Brad pulled out flowers from behind his back... Jenna was totally shocked, and even teared up a little - it was way awesome! nice job Brad! You did good... oh and I'm pretty sure that the very long hug meant yes!

Great day!

St. Patty's Day 2013

2013-03-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

Happy GREEN day! Just a fun excuse to have a little party type atmosphere! And we always seem to combine it with Brad's birthday! Fun times!

A fun afternoon with Linnette and Jason, The Halls, and Mother and Marv - finally back and feeling like things are close to normal again!!

A sweet experience

2013-02-23T23:00:00.000-08:00

We had a great weekend with Taylor. Such a blessing that we were able to have him in Sacramento and go through the temple together. He will have a lot of time to have experiences in the Temple before leaving on his mission, both in Utah and California. We loved the opportunity to be there together for his first time.
Thanks to the family and friends who joined us... such a blessing to have your love and support.
So pleased with Taylor, his life, his progression, who he is and who he is becoming. We are blessed to be his parents.

Anniversary Weekend get-away

2013-01-13T00:31:00.000-08:00

A Call to Serve

2013-01-10T00:14:00.000-08:00

We started off 2013 with a bang - on January 9th, Taylor opened his mission call. I realized that life never really turns out as planned... I have been thinking about this day for 18 years, and when it came time to happen, I wasnt even there... but let me tell you how thankful I am for technology. We had a feeling he would be getting his call on that Wednesday, b/c we knew it had been switched to "assigned" status. So we were anticipating it... we told a few people, but mostly we didnt tell people until Wednesday morning when we had found out that it had actually arrived. Then we set a time; 6:30pm mountain standard time... which was 5:30 here. Taylor announced to his friends there via facebook, and we announced here the same way mostly. We had a fun little gathering here (maybe 30 people) and he had a nice gathering there (80+ people). Once we had all gathered... he opened his call, and read...
"Dear Elder Davis,
You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Spain Madrid Mission... You should report to the Spain Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, June 12, 2013..."
It was a fun moment... lots of cheers and excitement... I was watching Bradley and his reaction was priceless. I have seen Brad's face light up that much in a long time - if ever. It was neat. There is a great spirit about the event of opening a mission call! I was glad so many could share in this moment. I have always enjoyed and felt blessed when others have included us as they have received their calls, and this was no different - I think a blessing for all!

Taylor, I am so proud of you - the young man you are, the missionary you will be, and the righteous man you are becoming. I love you more than you can possibly know and look forward to sharing these next couple of years with you - as you serve the Lord and the people in Spain. - mom

Thanks to Anteres for the up close and personal photos from Provo. So glad that she and Caleb could be there, as well as Ryan, Jake, and Amanda and kids.

Pics from the night...

Caroling

2012-12-18T00:29:00.000-08:00

Caroling at the Sunrise Assisted Living center with some awesome families in our ward has pretty much become a little tradition - this is our 3rd or 4th time going, and we all love it. We come away feeling so great. We go to serve the residents, and in the end, we are the ones who benefit! Such a blessing. And the fun time with good friends is a bonus!

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

twilight camp

2012-06-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Twilight camp is always a highlight for the boys. But when you add it to a week with your cousin - well, it just doesnt get much better. Angela was heading to girls camp and asked if Josh could stay with us for a week... and it just happened to be the week of twilight camp!
The theme was Indiana Jones, A Jungle Adventure, and they had so many great and learned lots about many aspects of the jungle. I only got to go for one evening, but I was able to take some pictures and get a good taste of the fun they were having and the amazing leaders that bless our boys lives!

If you have a boy in this group ... guess which one is yours... leave your answer in the comment section below...

what happens in vegas...

2012-06-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

Not so sure how much I like Vegas, but we certainly had a great trip, and I have to say that we were really able to avoid most of what i dont like about Vegas. The pools and hotel were amazing. The convention was nice, especially great to see Taylor be honored at the scholarship dinner. And the shows were top notch! So besides the lines, the smoke and casinos (which we mostly avoided), really Vegas was quite enjoyable! (I almost hate to admit it)

Went and saw Terry Fator with the Parkers! Amazing show, even better company!

Scholarship dinner... Taylor being honored... televised and everything - on NIADA tv. haha.

on stage

the other scholarship recipients... one for each region of the U.S.

Terry and Rachel... so glad they were there and we could hang with them!

Taylor, being king of the hill... his own room, and his own KING size bed! He was lovin it!

Taylor and Dad... sending Taylor off to Anaheim for vball tourny!

After one of the dinners, on our way back to our room... so pretty everywhere... the shadows in this photo crack me up!

Went to the LV temple...

The Beatles.. LOVE.. Cirque du Soleil with Terry and Rachel Degmetich! We had a great night! By far the best production I have ever seen I think!

ATTENTION... Special Prize if you can guess the price of this skirt!!!! Leave your guess in the comments. I will send you a prize! :)

Caesars Palace... it is a beautiful place ... as long as you can avoid the casinos! haha.... loved it.

ACMS Promotion - MOVIN' ON!!!!

2012-06-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

I love this girl!!! She is such a gem and a blessing to our lives! It was fun to watch her shine as she got awards and participated in her 8th grade promotion ceremony today! She received academic awards and an award for getting straight A's all through middle school, impressive to say the least. She was also selected as Scholar Athlete of the year! Such an honor. We love you Andrea and love to watch you shine... you are going to have fun in High School... but mostly we are grateful for the young lady you have become and are becoming on the inside... your beauty starts on the inside and shows on the outside!
And remember what President Eyring taught us... "Don't you ever inhale it!"

Seminary graduation

2012-06-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

Standing (L to R): Paige Gibson, Aaron Weaver, Justin Welton, Taylor Davis, Ryan Leach, Dillan Taylor, Micah Greene, Wendy Konesky, Mele Fonua, Sitting: Courtney Tanton, Matt Del Nero, Katie Dahle, and Bryana Solomon

Last night was seminary graduation...
I think sometimes we forget how amazing it is that these kids get up everyday (ok, most days) an hour or two earlier than their peers to study the scriptures. To me seminary is no less than a true miracle! Teens who have that much of a desire to be good and do what is right! It really amazes me... and when they do that for 4 years and then graduate... wow... hats off to you! We had an amazing group of graduates this year. I adopted them 2 years ago, and they are still mine! Love these kids.... especially that handsome one in the back with his favorite green shirt on!

Love you all!!! SD :)

Graduation!

2012-06-02T23:00:00.000-07:00

We are so happy for Taylor and his accomplishments to date...

not just that he graduated from HS, but he did high school with style!

He put 500% into everything that he did!

He was named Salutatorian (along with his good friend, Jordan Hebert) and asked to speak at graduation. Such an honor! He and Jordan gave a great speech and had everyone laughing and crying at the same time. It was a fun day to watch him shine!

We love you Taylor...

Oh the Places You'll Go!

Leah's bday Celebration

2012-06-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

Leah's birthday celebration

Good friends, snowcones, games, cake, presents

and lots of water ballooons!

Leah's very special baptism (and birth) DAY!

2012-06-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Our littlest angel was baptized today.

She knows right from wrong, there is no doubt,

and she has chosen this for herself, that I know.

She is a beautiful little girl with a fun and sweet personality

our family is blessed to be part of her life.

Her baptism day was special and we were joined by some very special family and friends

Leah's aunt, Linnette, is also her primary teacher and was asked to speak at her baptism.

It was a wonderful service.

Thanks to all who came to be there with Leah today. it made it extra special for her and us.

Such a wonderful happy day... our last child to get baptized. Wow.

We love you Leah, and couldn't be happier about your choices.

Last day of Seminary

2012-05-31T09:15:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love the kids in these pictures...

This has been a great year.

Today was our last day together as a class, and it was an amazing 50 minutes with them!

I spent oh so many hours on their journals and awards, and today made it all worth it and more!

Branden, who moved away, got up early and rode his bike to come! So many had finals, some are already out of school
- all had good reasons not to be there!
Wow... What a blessing to know these youth!

I love you guys, you are amazing! -- REALLY!!!

(here is the pic we took yesterday - bc we needed a class photo with Abril in it.... then we had to retake today with Branden and Greg. Only missing Matthew today.)

I think they liked their books... I loved watching them look through them!

I have a happy heart today!

it's almost here!!

2012-05-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

It's almost here

Graduation day is June 1st

it is a happy day and a sad one

an exciting time, and a fearful one...

I love this boy

I have been so blessed to be his mother!

I am happy about his life and who he is becoming,

but its just another empty seat at the table that really does not excite me!

Congratulations Taylor! You did High School right...

now off to the next phase of life...

you have brains in your head

you have feet in your shoes

you can steer yourself any direction you choose

...

Oh the places you'll go!

Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!

Natomas Charter Art Academy

2012-05-23T14:47:00.001-07:00

The anticipation is over... I have been waiting for a long time to see these pictures,

...and wow!, they were worth the wait!

Taylor had the pleasure of escorting Dana Jensen to her junior prom this year at Natomas Charter School - I should mention that it is a school full of talented artists. Dana dances. He said it was a great event, well put on, and everyone danced and had a great time. Taylor said it was pretty different from a "regular" senior ball, and they really had a lot of fun.

Before the event they had a photo shoot and dinner in downtown Sacramento.

The photos are so fun, and I heard that dinner was pretty great too...

What fun to be young and social!

Dana is a beautiful young lady. I have gotten to know her well this year as she has been in my seminary class, and I would have to say, the more I know of her, the more I admire who she is!

Thanks for choosing Taylor, Dana!

I love this picture. I think because Taylor really doesnt smile that big for pictures. and because I can tell how much fun they had!

Senior Ball

2012-05-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

they stopped by for pictures on their way to the Ball

they were breathtaking

or I guess I should say, she was, Taylor looked nice too

her dress was amazing!

I am so grateful for beautiful young women who dress modestly

a young woman who knows her worth and portrays it in all she does

and I am so grateful for a son who recognizes it

and chooses this type of a young woman to date!

Janelle, you are beautiful, inside and out :)

Janelle's hair was amazing. it is called a waterfall braid, and her mom learned how to do it just for this evening! Impressive.... I want to learn this one!

High school dances nowadays are not so uplifting and great, but what I love about this event that AHS has established, is that they have dinner together and other things going on that they can enjoy themselves before the lude dancing and starts, and then they can go away from that and just do their own thing. They left with a group and went to leatherby's and just had a fun night.

Legit - I think so

2012-05-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

They call themselves TEAM LEGIT

This is the starting line-up apparently. There are more.

They have poured their heart and soul into every aspect of their high school experience. Every one of these boys has above a 4.0 GPA and 2 of them will speak at graduation as class salutatorians.

Whether it is a chem lab, a calculus test, a speech contest, cheering for a team in the red zone, or decorating for a rally, they have never put less than 200 percent into anything they have taken on! It amazes me what they can accomplish when they get together.

They are all leaving to 5 different universities... oh the reunions will be sweet.

Not looking forward to the goodbyes!

Team Legit from L to R:

Jordan Hebert, Kyle Spackman, Taylor Davis, Federico Ragazzon (Fed), Aaron Weaver...

the photo title: The Smolder!

last rally of the year, and they went all out... over a hundred hours in prep Im sure...
they are going out with style, and leaving some bug shoes to fill!

Aaron, Kyla, Jordan, Fed, Mary, and Taylor

Rally theme: video games, Seniors: Mario Cart

Sadie Hawkin's Carnival and Dance

2012-05-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!!!

2012-05-06T08:31:00.001-07:00

When you get TP-ed, do you feel violated? loved? or just annoyed?

I just like to think that my kids are loved

(I have definitely figured out that it has nothing to do with us, the parents.)

The funny thing is that our TPing comes in pairs these days...

our neighbors always get it too...

Since our kids share friends.

Mostly I think it is girls, trying to get the attention of the boys personally!

So we are always trying to figure out who it is for,

sometimes they leave a note, "We love you Brad" or something

nothing this time

hmmm... who do you make go clean it up?

There should be a rule that you can only TP on friday nights... it is just not so fun to clean up on Sunday morning... and we cant really just leave, can we?

top picture is our house. bottom is neighbors. The wind made it look kind of pretty!

Modest Prom

2012-04-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

Because so many of the high school dances have gotten to be so ronchy, many have started having what we would call "modest prom" events. It is so awesome, the youth can go to these events, they are free or very cheap, and the clothing is modest, the music is clean, and the dancing is appropriate. Such a breath of fresh air for these kids. I have to hand it to them, they have an amazing ability to be around all the ludeness and walking porn, and still remain so wholesome. It really does amaze me how strong the youth are today!

This particular event was put on by our stake and a neighboring stake. Because Rod was partially in charge we "strongly encouraged" our boys to get dates and attend. I told them both at the beginning of the week that they could either find their own dates, or I would find one for them. it worked out great, they both had dates and went...

... and when they got home the words I heard were, "That was the most fun I have ever had at a dance!" and "By far the best dance I have ever been to." So needless to say. it was worth the coaxing.

There are still amazingly beautiful young ladies in this world, that dress modestly and know their self worth. I am glad my boys found a couple of them to go with (even if I helped a little),

Taylor and Lauren have known each other since before birth. They look just as good side by side as they did when they were two!

She is not just beautiful, she is fun and kind and just plain amazing! A lot like her mom!

Jenna is Brad's kind of date... he can choke her and she still smiles! They have also known each other since birth... fun to be in the same place for so long, that we have so many lifetime friends.

Sam and Paige went with them. Both great friends. Made it a perfect little group.

Brothers... first double date.

Go have fun!!!

Are you a Jabari fan???

2012-04-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

I'm a FAN!!!!

Do you know Jabari Parker?

rated #1 High School Basketball player in the United States...

no big deal right, well, he is only a Junior...

top that off with story after story of his faith and unselfishness,

his ability and constant desire to make the other guy look good,

his poise in front of the spotlight SO MUCH at such a YOUNG age,

He is a good person...

My favorite quote of his this week,

"Basketball is not who I am, it is what I do."

who he is... oh so much more...

read about him.

(I would post links but there are just too many)

although this is one of my favorite articles...

in the New York Times, click here to read.

he has mad basketball skills... 6'8" and he handles the ball like a gaurd.... because of his unselfish playing he only averages 19-21 points a game, people say he could easily be scoring 35-40, but he is a team player!

He is a happy person who loves the people around him... especially his family and his teammates.

and best of all, he attends seminary, and loves the lord. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

This morning in seminary we talked about Jabari and how some youth rise above, and have a great work. We talked about Daniel and how out of all of the amazing young men brought into babylon, a few, especially Daniel, rose above. They were all the best of the best, but even among that group. some will shine...
Just like the youth we all know today, they are valiant amazing people, and some of them will really shine, and excel and move on to do great and amazing things. Maybe even as amazing as serving a king and interpreting dreams... or playing basketball so well that every move they make is reported on social media! ...never know.

Cami - 8 months!

2012-04-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

I heart this baby

She is so beautiful

I loved taking pics of her... and I did not edit her eyes... the lighting that day just made them pop!

she is so serious, not super smiley, but also so patient.

I think we could have taken pics for hours and she would have just sat there.

Thanks Heather, for letting photograph your perfect baby!

Dont you just want to kiss those little lips! She is so stinkin' cute, I can hardly stand it!

College admissions, or not...

2012-03-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

This morning Taylor found out that he didnt get into Stanford. He was disappointed. Not gonna lie, I was too. I know he is Stanford quality, so it was hard to see him not get in... they have so many things that they are looking for when they fill a class, and although he had all the prerequisites and fits the "mold" he may live in the wrong place or be the wrong race, or whatever, for what they are looking for right now. But all along, I have had such a peaceful feeling that where he is suppose to end up, will happen. I know that he will have an amazing life, already does, and for now, I guess stanford doesnt need to be a part of it.
But why I really decided to post is the article that was in the LA Times today about college admissions, written by the dean of admissions at Stanford. Well put, well said, and well taken by this mom!!
(article below)
Maybe it will help any of you who have kids applying to colleges in the near future.
By the way he found out just as the first session of conference was beginning, and President Monson stood and said, (not quite a direct quote:) Some of you are stuggling from disappointment. Each of you can be uplifted and inspired from the spirit... from this conference... It really couldnt have been more perfect timing.

Here is the article...

Rejected by Stanford? You'll live

March 30, 2007|Richard H. Shaw | RICHARD H. SHAW is dean of admission and financial aid at Stanford University.

THIS AFTERNOON, my office will send out nearly 18,000 e-mail messages to high school seniors who are waiting with anticipation to learn whether they will be invited to spend the next four years at Stanford.
While I have been in the admissions field for more than 25 years, I expect to be feeling quite a bit of pain at the end of this week (as I do each year) about the many exceptional youths who did not get offered one of the roughly 1,650 slots in the Class of 2011. I also expect that, in the following weeks, I will hear from parents who are understandably distraught that their sons and daughters with top high school class rankings, perfect 800 SAT scores and some truly impressive extracurricular accomplishments were denied entry.

Clearly, I believe that a Stanford education is wonderful, but my experience suggests it's often parents who are more upset about our admission decisions than the kids. I can relate to their concerns: I find myself getting jittery as my daughter waits to hear from the colleges she's applied to this year. But given that today's teens already have enough pressure in their lives, I wish to impart three credos to these parents.
First, it's all relative. While the number admitted into the undergraduate class has remained unchanged for years, Stanford, like many of its peer schools, has had a record number of applicants -- nearly 24,000. Regardless of arguments over whether too much preference is given to one category over another, thousands of students are going to be turned away, and there is no doubt that the vast majority of them could have met the demands of a Stanford education. We could, for instance, have filled the incoming class four times over with applicants who achieved grade point averages of 4.0 or greater.
I wish there were a formula to explain who is accepted and who isn't, but the decision-making is as much art as it is science. Each class is a symphony with its own distinct composition and sound; the final roster is an effort to create harmony, and that means that some extraordinary bass players don't get a chair. What's more, even among my staff there are legitimate differences about applicants. The bottom line: The world is not going to judge anyone negatively because they didn't get into Stanford or one of our peer institutions.
Second, celebrate the bigger picture. Despite the constant media buzz about the turbulent state of youth today, most of the applications I reviewed -- as well as those reviewed by my colleagues at Stanford and elsewhere -- are truly remarkable. And in most cases, those denied admission to some schools are admitted to others. The transition from high school to college is a monumental turning point, and it's more important to focus on how a young adult is moving on to a new stage than where that stage happens to be. This is the moment when parents should mark the success of their children and rejoice in the excitement that the next four years will bring.
And that leads to my final point: Education is what a student makes of it. Of course, certain schools have resources that others don't, but they all offer opportunities to learn and to grow.
I am reminded of a teenager graduating high school in Sunnyvale, Calif., in 1975, who applied to only Stanford and one other school. He was understandably disappointed when denied admission here, but he later excelled as an undergraduate at the distinguished university across San Francisco Bay, UC Berkeley. He went on to earn a doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and to become a research scientist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington and an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins. In 2003, he joined the Stanford University School of Medicine and last year was the co-winner of the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.

Andrew Fire is not atypical when it comes to Stanford applicants. Nor for that matter is John Etchemendy, the Stanford provost and philosophy professor who also was denied admission as an undergraduate. Nor are any of the thousands of others who aren't accepted into Stanford and go on to have fulfilling lives.
An undergraduate degree from Stanford, or an Ivy League college, may well end up being only one line at the bottom of a resume. What parents of college applicants across the country need to remember this week is that the news their children are about to receive, whether good or bad, is but a single step on a much longer journey.